Pangasinan PNP still on full alert after polls
THE alert level of the police in Pangasinan has already been lowered from heightened to full a week after the May 9 election ordering policemen continue to guard against possible post-election related incidents and tension that may arise.
This was bared by Supt. Jackie Candelario, police deputy police director, who said no policeman has been allowed to file his leave while the status remains at full alert.
However, the augmentation forces of the police and military deployed to Pangasinan during the election, numbering more than 400, were already pulled out as of 5:00 p.m. of May 10, leaving only the local-based policemen on duty.
He told the KBP Forum on Thursday they will continue to be in full alert till such time that all the Vote Counting Machines (VCMs) are collected and returned to the Comelec warehouse in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
The more than 1,000 VCMs used in the May 9 elections are being secured by policemen in three Comelec hubs, namely Alaminos, Dagupan and Urdaneta cities.
He said police checkpoint operations in various parts of Pangasinan will still continue.
Some of the augmentation forces were formed into disruption/distraction teams to respond to election-related incidents like reported vote-buying and harassment of voters.
As ground commander of these disruption/distraction teams, he confirmed he received 141 text messages sent by various concerned citizens of alleged vote-buying and selling.
Candelario said they arrested the persons caught involved in alleged vote-buying as well as selling in Binmaley town but these were eventually released as no one is willing to file complaints.
Overall, he said, the election in Pangasinan was generally peaceful and orderly with no untoward incident that has happened, except the reported vote-buying and selling.
He said only two election-related incidents, both for mauling in Sison and in Urbiztondo long before the election.
He said the election in Bayambang, the number one town in Pangasinan placed under the watch list, was very peaceful and orderly. He added that the candidates stood by the peace covenants they signed earlier.
It was only in Bayambang where all the candidates without exception signed the peace covenant initiated by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, Comelec and the police. (Leonardo Micua)
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